More than a century earlier, Lieutenant Tcheliuskin, a Russian officer, had succeeded in reaching this most northern point of Siberia, traveling overland by sledge. Many explorers had tried to reach Cape Tcheliuskin by water, but up to this time all had failed. Nordenskjöld and his companions were very proud of their success. Flags were hoisted, salutes fired, and the officers drank toasts in honor of the occasion. [Illustration: THE “VEGA” FIRING A SALUTE AT CAPE TCHELIUSKIN, THE MOST NORTHERN POINT OF THE OLD WORLD.] A heap of stones, called a cairn, was erected on shore as a memorial, and soon the two vessels started again on their journey eastward. When the mouth of the Lena river was reached, the ship _Lena_ headed toward it and, after exploring the river, returned home. After parting from the _Lena_, the _Vega_ continued her voyage to the New Siberian islands and thence along the coast of Asia, nearly to Bering strait. When within a day’s journey of the strait, the _Vega_ was beset in the ice; and, much to Nordenskjöld’s regret, he was obliged to pass the winter at the very entrance to the Pacific ocean. Had he been a few hours earlier, he might have forced his way through the ice and completed the northeast passage in 1878. But in that case we should never have known all the interesting facts which he has told us about the strange people who inhabit the northeastern peninsula of Asia. These people are a Siberian tribe, called Tchuktches.[3] There are two divisions of the tribe, the reindeer Tchuktches and the coast Tchuktches. The former own herds of reindeer, and travel about, pitching their tents wherever the pasture is good. They also trade in skins, hides, furs, and whalebones with the most northern Indian tribes of America and with the Russian fur dealers, often making long journeys for this purpose. The coast Tchuktches live along the shore, and hunt and fish for their living. [3] Pronounced _Chookʹ chez_. The reindeer Tchuktches were encamped near the _Vega’s_ winter quarters. As soon as these people saw a strange ship anchored off the coast, they launched a large skin boat very skillfully, and men, women, and children jumped in and rowed through the thin, newly formed ice to the vessel. They climbed aboard and seemed as pleased to see the white men as if they had been old friends. The deck of the _Vega_ became a reception room, for not a day passed without a visit from the natives. [Illustration: TCHUKTCHE AND REINDEER.]